Agglutinated foraminifera from the shelf of east coast of India

Abstract

Of the benthonic foraminiferal species, the agglutinated forms form one of the distinctive elements by differing in type and the degree of their abundance in the several zones of the marine environment. The role played by the eighteen species belonging to six families, in a depth zone of 35-222 m of the east-coast of India (between Visakhapatnam and Masulipatnam along the continental shelf-slope region) in terms of lithology, faunal assemblage and their percentage distribution are discussed. It is found that the highest concentration of these species is noticed in the quite region of the shelf, and least in the deltaic areas. The population is highest in the region of fine sands at depth (55-74 m) and decrease markedly beyond. Similarly, they are rare in the near shore (upto 55 m depth) from the coast. They also indicate the evidence of slumping in deeper waters. These forms also have a wide range in the composition of the material making up their test which is attributed to the selective power of the organism